'Vital' £60m resurfacing work that will last a year to get underway on A11 in Norfolk

Work to re-lay the ageing surface of a stretch of the A11 in Norfolk will get underway on Wednesday.

The £60m upgrade, which is being carried out by National Highways, is expected to take a year to complete - meaning drivers could face disruption until spring 2023.

The section of carriageway near Wymondham, between Spooner Row and the Tuttles Interchange, was laid in the 1990s, and is now more than 25 years old.

The work will see the current concrete surface of the road replaced with recycled material and a new asphalt surface.

Replacement kerbs will also be installed, and new road markings and reflective road studs will be put in as well.

Around 45,000 motorists use the section of the road every day, and those in charge of the project say that the upgrades are necessary to improve safety and to boost the quality of journeys.

"The road surface of this stretch is more than 25 years old and despite serving us well, is coming to the end of its life and needs reconstruction," National Highways regional director Martin Fellows said.

“We appreciate that living, working or travelling in and around Norfolk while this major construction project takes place might not be easy, and we will do all we can to minimise disruption.

"Upgrading this stretch of the A11 between Spooner Row and Tuttles Interchange is a massive job and it’s important to us that all road users, residents and businesses feel the benefits of a safer and quieter road as soon as possible.” 

While the work takes places, the speed limit in the area will be reduced to 40mph.

Capacity on the road will be significantly reduced due to a contraflow system that will be put in place.

From May, drivers will travel on the southbound carriageway with a lane of traffic in each direction while work on the northbound carriageway is completed, and that will then be reversed in January.